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Chapter 78:

Lauren sighed heavily, after the phone call from AJ two nights ago she hadn't slept. She managed to get some sleep in the night after the phone call, but everything was plaguing her by now. She hadn't talked to Nastasia in forever, and it hurt her deeply. She hoped Nastasia would be the one to call, but somewhere inside her she knew that wasn't happening. Then not having Chase around was another stab in the heart.

"Lauren, honey, what happened to the phone?" her mother asked as she appeared into the living-room where Lauren sat watching tv with a blank expression. Lauren never told her mother about the phone call and she hadn't planned on it, not yet at least.

"Nothing." Lauren mumbled.

"Tell me the truth Lauren. If nothing happened, I wouldn't have found the phone lying broken under the bed in the guest room," her mother stated as she walked over to the couch and sat down.

"I got a little upset."

"About what dear? It had to of been bad enough for you to break the phone."

"AJ called me." Lauren replied, her sapphire eyes lighting with an intense passion. Her anger burning within her.

"What did he say?" her mother asked softly, she wished things would go back to normal between her daughter and AJ, but she somehow knew that it wouldn't work that way.

"Told me I better have a good lawyer." Lauren replied in the stiffest most stuffiest tone she could muster. "So, I broke the phone."

"Honey..."

"What? I figure I'm calling Denise today to have her fly in Chase. I'll call my lawyer if things don't calm down in a week or sooner. I'm going to get this settled, with or without any of them." Lauren replied, refusing to cry over him.

"But what if AJ refuses to hand Chase over?"

"That's why I call Denise and have her talk to AJ. He can't want Chase anyway, he'll get sick of him within a week. Partying and adding a child in there will never gel."

"You know that's not true..."

"WHY are you sticking up for him? You're just like Nastasia!"

"Lauren, I am not sticking up for Alexander. You know just as well as I do that he loves his son, that's all I'm saying. He's not going to give Chase up easily, if at all."

"Then I'll fly down there and pry him out of AJ's hands." Lauren answered as she gritted her teeth.

"And that'll look good in court."

"God, I hate this!" Lauren cursed as she stood up shaking her head at her mother, "I thought you'd always stick up for me. Chase is MY son! I don't care if AJ is his biological father. I carried him in my stomach for NINE DAMN MONTHS! I was there with him for the first THREE YEARS of his life. Don't tell me what will and will NOT look good in court!"

Her mother looked at her daughter in shock. She rarely every burst at her like that. "Lauren, calm down..."

"I will NOT calm down." Lauren replied, "I'm calling Denise in exactly two hours. I will have Chase IN MY ARMS by tomorrow evening. And that is that."

********

"Daddy, I miss Mommy..." Chase mumbled as he leaned against his father. Everyone was back on the tour bus, heading to yet another destination. AJ responded by snuggling him more under the blanket. Chase had been extremely tired for the past few days, and AJ hoped he would be getting over his illness soon.

AJ refused to talk about Lauren to anyone, but Nastasia and sometimes Howie and even then, he didn't want to talk about her, not until he had to deal with it in court.

"C'mon sweetheart, time for you to take a nap, " Denise called sweetly as she walked up to AJ and pulled Chase up into her arms. It was Nastasia's calling that she do that because she wanted to talk to AJ.

"Thanks mom." Nastasia called with a smile as she kissed Denise's cheek lovingly. She then placed a kiss on Chase's cheek, he offered her a timid smile as Denise took him to the bunk beds. "Can I share a cover?"

"Be my guest," AJ mumbled, lifting the blanket up so she could sit down next to him.

"You okay?" Nastasia asked softly.

"Not really," AJ answered truthfully as he stared out the window. His heart aching inside as he stared out at the numerous trees passing their bus. Blankets of snow settled on the ground. It was a lot colder up north than it was in the south. And it being the middle of January didn’t help.

"AJ, you need to cheer up." Nastasia answered softly.

"How? My ex-wife wants to take Chase from me and you’re telling me to cheer up?" AJ scoffed.

"Chase is really sick-"

"And I wonder why. I think it’s because his mother up and left him. He has no clue where she is, and he in return gets sick! Thanks to Lauren!"

"Maybe he needs to go home-"

"WHAT?!"

"Look, touring like this isn’t good for him-"

"Then send Alexandria home!"

"She’s 7 months old!" Nastasia scoffed.

"But-"

"I’m sorry. I don’t want to fight with you. I just want what’s best for Chase. I know what it’s like being up rooted from what you know and thought you loved. Being moved around isn’t fun JJ." Nastasia answered truthfully, remembering the day she had run away from her father.

"I’m sorry Stazzie." AJ whispered, "I just think I’m loosing my mind!" AJ began to cry softly as he hugged Nastasia. The tightness of the hug compressed the air from Nastasia’s lungs. She didn’t move though. She hugged him back tightly, hoping his sadness would suddenly leave.

*****

After an hour or so AJ went to go to sleep with Chase, who had been asleep for awhile. Seeing she could get away, Nastasia slipped to the back of the tourbus. She looked to see Nick and Brian out in the kitchen area. Kevin was sleeping in the bunk, and Howie was in the back with Alexandria.

"Where’s that mommy of yours?" Nastasia heard Howie call as Alexandria let out a loud coo. She peeked in to see Howie sitting on the couch while Alexandria balanced her hands on it. She was getting a lot better at walking around the rooms and things. Nastasia was extremely proud of her.

"Mama." Alexandria called, pointing a tiny finger towards the door. Howie looked as Nastasia ducked away. Howie looked back to Alexandria puzzled.

"Mommy isn’t there silly. But we love mommy don’t we?" Howie smiled as Alexandria bobbed her head up and down. Howie let out a laugh as Nastasia hid hers. She quickly sneaked into the room and grabbed Alexandria, who didn’t see her. Alexandria let out a baby scream until she saw it was her mother.

"Mama!" Alexandria called brightly. Nastasia smiled as she kissed Alexandria’s cheeks thousands of times. She was suddenly very thankful she hadn’t divorced Howie. She would have missed everything that she was experiencing now.

"Hey, there’s my wife." Howie called brightly as Nastasia slipped onto his lap with Alexandria in her arms. Howie wrapped his arms around both of his girls, kissing Alexandria’s head and Nastasia’s lips. "My two best girls. Life couldn’t be better."

"It’s been awhile huh?" Nastasia chuckled wearily as she kissed Howie back softly. He felt the tingles race down his spine. Nastasia had a way of making him fall in love with her all over again.

"AJ and Lauren are driving you nuts. You need a break. I never see you anymore unless AJ, Kevin, Nick, or Brian are around." Howie sulked, "You need a break baby. You’re going to go stir crazy. Or have another nervous breakdown."

"I just want to be there for my-"

"I know, but they’re going to give you a heart attack."

"But-"

"Why don’t when we get to the next place just you, me, and Lex go out. No one else. Just us three, like a real family. We haven’t done anything like that in awhile. And just for once I get to have my wife all to myself." Howie suggested, making it so tempting to her. She knew what Howie was feeling, they never did get time alone anymore.

"I think I agree." Nastasia smiled.

"Good, because I wouldn’t have let you say no." Howie answered as he brought his lips back to Nastasia’s lips. Pressing them firmly and tracing her mouth with his tongue, sending the same shivers up Nastasia’s spine. The promises he would definitely keep.